Grading the Jaguars 2020 Free Agents: Defensive End Adam Gotsis

The Jacksonville Jaguars, like many teams in the National Football League, found themselves in a precarious situation last spring. A global pandemic meant scouts and coaches were limited to tape when evaluating players. As such, the Jaguars kept their free agent signings modest.

From there, the list shrunk even more as a handful of those signed elected to retire and/or opt-out for the season.

There were six though that saw significant time on the field for the Jacksonville Jaguars this season and we’ll spend the next few days grading their performance.

Defensive end Adam Gotsis came to the Jaguars after four years with the Denver Broncos. The former second-rounder is still relatively new to American football, having grown up in Melbourne, Australia and playing by rules there. By season’s end, he’d become a starter for the Jaguars on the defensive line and one of the more promising players moving into the offseason.

What Went Right

Even after four years in Denver, Gotsis is still raw. Some of that is simply a lack of familiarity with the game. But his progress, combined with innate athleticism, has been quick and frankly fascinating to watch. He finished the season having started 14 games and accumulating 37 tackles, three passes defended, and a forced fumble. While the DE had no sacks, according to Pro Football Focus, he did have three quarterback hits and eight hurries.

Gotsis was somewhat of a situational end. He could play the interior with a hand in the ground, as well as the edge, making him ideal as a run blocker. His presence in that role was something former Head Coach Doug Marrone and former Defensive Coordinator Todd Wash both praised him for throughout the season. PFF gave Gotsis as 63.2 grade for the season in run defense.

“Adam’s a guy that he plays the big end for us but we’re looking to get things inside, looking to see where we can get things because fundamentally, he’s a good football player,” said Marrone of Gotsis in early December.

“He has good strength, he has good hands, he can play low, he can take on double teams, he can hold up versus the tackles in the league, so I think he’s been real solid for us.”

On 4th down, @gotsis96 made a big stop against the Browns.@logs56 explains in #LogsFilmRoom presented by @Microsoft pic.twitter.com/mlop8SvAwV
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 5, 2020

What Went Wrong

For as much as Gotsis progressed, there is still room for growth. That’s true of anyone wanting to improve their craft, but the defensive end is still behind the curve in terms of shoring up technique, moves, and recognizing what the offense is doing. That should come with time, but the NFL infamously stands for “Not For Long.” He saw more time in the rotation due to injuries and opt-outs, but one has to wonder if the Jaguars see enough out of Gotsis to commit to him longer as a project -- especially when there are a bevy of defensive ends and run stoppers coming available in April’s 2021 NFL Draft and free agency.

Overall Grade On This Signing: B+

All things considered, Gotsis was a nice surprise and solid gap player for the Jags on the defensive line. Sure, there’s a question if he can be an answer long-term in the front seven, and having signed only a one-year deal, the new coaching staff for the Jags will have to decide quickly if they want to see what else can be extracted from Gotsis. But for what he was asked to do and how he responded, Adam Gotsis was a staple piece for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.